Apostolos-5 November, 2016

In our Province, we have a day of prayer for our deceased MSA USA members on the Saturday following All Souls Day. The passage from the Gospel reminds us of our hope for immortality. The temporality and eternity is part of our faith; to be “a true-believer” (Fr. Jose Salazar) means to have hope in the Resurrection, to expect to be raised by Jesus on the last day. Our Constitutions reminds us of this reality. He called us to give witness that life doesn’t end with our corporal mortality. So, in our family MSA USA, we honor the memory of those who gave their lives for the cause of the Kingdom of God every year on the first Saturday after All Souls Day, starting with the Table of the Eucharist, continuing by sharing the food of fraternity, and by ending with a visit in the cemetery with prayers and intercessions for their souls, expressing our hope of eternal life. For us, eternal life is a reality in some way mysterious where the Church Glorified, Suffering, and Itinerant, is emphasized. For many of us MSA, earthly life seems short, when we see its challenges and joys in front of us, we are hoping for eternity and when we look back to our personal history, the many years lived in apostlic mission seem like yesterday and it’s gone. When we see our lives in front of us, we have hope for eternity and when we look back to many years lived in apostolic mission, it seems like yesterday and it is gone. For this reason, it is important to live the present time; yesterday is past and tomorrow is in the hands of God. Let us, even with our weakening strength, continue to throw the nets into the ocean of hope trying to catch the vocations which God sends to our MSA USA family in order to contuinue our charism and mission in the Church: to give priests to make present the hope of humanity, Jesus Christ, the Crucified, the Risen, and the Lord. And let us keep in mind that Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and if we are faithful until the end, we will be with him forever. Grant them eternal rest, and let the light of the Lord shine on them. Amen. Alleluia.